One of conventional chair type massaging apparatuses by which a forearm of a user can be massaged is disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Publication No. 2001-204776. The massaging apparatus disclosed in the publication has, at the upper part of the armrest, an arm holding portion comprising a holding wall portion forming a U-shaped concave portion. This holding wall portion includes an air bag. Compressed air is supplied to or exhausted from the air bag in each holding wall portion so that the air bag is expanded or contracted. As a result, an arm (forearm) of the user inserted into the concave portion of the holding wall portion is massaged by providing pressure and releasing the pressure to the arm in a sandwiching manner.
Another conventional massaging apparatus is disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Publication No. S52-28517. This massaging apparatus has a fixation frame configured to support a leg portion or an arm portion or the like of the user (the following section will describe a case of the leg portion) and a movable frame coupled to both ends of the fixation frame in a hinged manner. The fixation frame and the movable frame are connected to both ends of a cylinder. This cylinder can be driven to open or close the fixation frame and the movable frame. The fixation frame and the movable frame are configured to have a concavity so as to hold the leg portion of the user. A part at which the fixation frame is opposed to the movable frame has a finger pressure tube as an accordion-like air bag. Such a massaging apparatus has, at the tip end of the finger pressure tube, a finger pressure head. The respective finger pressure tube is elongated to allow the finger pressure head to have a contact with the leg portion of the user so that the leg portion receives pressure stimulation.
The fixation frame and the movable frame can be configured so as to be moved, in an integrated manner, in the longitudinal direction of the leg portion of the user, thereby changing a position at which the finger pressure is provided.
The construction as described above allows this massaging apparatus to use the finger pressure head to massage the leg portion of the user while the leg portion is being held. This prevents the leg portion from escaping in the direction along which the pressure by the finger pressure head is applied when the finger pressure head presses the leg portion. Thus, the pressure stimulation by the finger pressure head can be reliably given to the leg portion of the user.
However, the above massaging apparatus disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Publication No. 2001-204776 has a problem as described below. Specifically, when a user sits on the massaging apparatus, his or her forearm is inserted to the holding wall portion provided at the upper part of the armrest. The holding wall portion cannot be detached from the armrest. This caused a problem in which, even when the massaging apparatus is used as a mere comfort chair or when the massaging apparatus is not used for the purpose of massaging the forearm (e.g., when the massaging apparatus is used for massaging a body member other than the forearm), the user was required to insert the forearm to the arm holding portion.
The insertion of the forearm to the arm holding portion as described above caused limitation on the posture of the user, making it difficult for the user to take a desired posture due to the arm holding portion as an obstacle.
The above massaging apparatus disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Publication No. S52-28517 had a similar problem because it has a construction in which the leg portion or the arm portion of the user is retained by the fixation frame and the movable frame that cannot be detached.
Furthermore, the massaging apparatus disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Publication No. S52-28517 had a problem in which, due to a construction in which a cylinder for rotating a rotation portion and each finger pressure head includes a finger pressure tube as an air bag so that the finger pressure tube is elongated to move the finger pressure head, a large number of actuators (cylinder, finger pressure tube) must be provided, thus causing the construction to be complicated.
Furthermore, the massaging apparatus disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Publication No. S52-28517 had a problem in which, due to the construction in which, a fixation frame for supporting a portion to be massaged of a user (e.g., leg portion, arm portion) is moved with a movable frame in an integrated manner, a position at which the portion to be massaged is supported is changed when the finger pressure is provided while moving the fixation frame and the movable frame, which makes it impossible for the portion to be massaged to be reliably supported.
The fixation frame supports the portion to be massaged with a small area and thus is prevented from being used as a footrest or an armrest, for example. The fixation frame requires a region in which it can move, thus preventing an additional component such as a footrest or an armrest from being additionally provided.